ALLEN PARK >> Jim Caldwell is not certain Chris Houston will bounce back from a lousy 2013 season, but it’s not the only thing of which he is unsure.

“I’m not certain. You’re never 100-percent certain about anything, you know? I can’t be certain if I’m going to wake up tomorrow morning. Tomorrow’s not promised to me, so I’m not certain. We’ll see,’’ the Detroit Lions coach said on Thursday.

He wouldn’t say for certain if Houston’s struggles last season were due to injury, but said, “He’s a young man and typically they heal pretty quickly, unlike old guys like me. But we anticipate that he’ll come along. We’ll have to wait and see.”

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Houston missed minicamp this week and Caldwell confirmed it was due to injury but would not be specific.

It seemed like Caldwell was being cautious in his assessment of Houston which seems to be typical for the coach.

“Everybody’s got a clean slate with us,’’ Caldwell said. “As a matter of fact, I haven’t dwelled on last year as much. We looked at it from a technical standpoint, just to know that we were aware in what they can do, appears that they can do.’’

A year ago Houston had signed a five-year, $25 million contract coming off a solid 2012 season.

At the NFL Combine in February, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said, “I’m very confident in Chris. He’s a veteran player, he knows how to play the game. ... We’re confident in Chris’ game.’’

Justin Gilbert visits

Cornerback Justin Gilbert watched the final day of Lions minicamp from the sidelines Thursday.

Gilbert (Oklahoma State) was making his pre-draft visit. He could be a strong consideration for the Lions who have the 10th pick in the draft.

Ins and outs

Wide receiver Ryan Broyles was back for a second straight day of practice. He sat out Tuesday and worked for the first time on Wednesday. He is coming off surgery to repair a torn Achilles’ on Oct. 29.

Also on Thursday, right guard Larry Warford and linebacker Brandon Hepburn were not participating.

The absentees were the same as Wednesday — Ndamukong Suh, Mikel Leshoure, Chris Houston and Carlin Isles. The other injured players including Calvin Johnson, Joique Bell and Brandon Pettigrew were on the field, but not participating.

Caldwell said Leshoure missed Wednesday and Thursday because of personal issues.

Hanson returns as consultant

Jason Hanson is back, sort of.

The Lions have brought Hanson in as a kicking consultant as they seek to find a kicker for this season, per the team web site.

They have two young kickers — John Potter and Giorgio Tavecchio — signed to futures/reserve contracts. Both are working at the minicamp this week. Potter (Western Michigan) has limited regular season experience while Tavecchio nearly beat out Mason Crosby at the Packers’ training camp last year.

Hanson was asked by special teams coordinator John Bonamego to give his perspective on Potter and Tavecchio this week, according to the team web site. While he’s on the field he can also answer their questions.

If these two don’t appear to have potential, the Lions could look to the late rounds of the draft. ESPN draft analyst said in a Wednesday conference call that the kickers he likes are Anthony Fera (Texas), Zach Hocker (Arkansas) and Chris Boswell (Rice).

Hanson, a second-round draft pick in 1991, kicked for the Lions for 21 seasons before retiring prior to the 2013 season. The Lions brought in veteran David Akers last season.

About the Author

Paula Pasche is a longtime sports writer for The Oakland Press and blogs at http://oplions.blogspot.com/. Author of book, "100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die." Follow on Tout and Twitter @paulapasche. Reach the author at paula.pasche@oakpress.com
or follow Paula on Twitter: @PaulaPasche.